


Battle High (to Low)

by raendown



Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [17]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 07:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21295868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown
Summary: Tobirama's not great with admitting his own limits and Madara is always up for pointing out when he's being an idiot.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 Drabbles [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533161
Comments: 20
Kudos: 212





	Battle High (to Low)

Backs against the cold stone of an underground cave, lungs screaming in protest of so much exertion, Madara and Tobirama both wore grins fit to light up the darkness around them. There was never a time to make them feel quite so alive as the moments in which they struggled to stay that way. All shinobi felt the same thrill to some degree but this was exactly why the pair of them preferred to take missions together when they could; they both had a habit of toeing the edges of danger far beyond what other people still considered thrilling.

When he could pull enough oxygen in to his lungs to form words Madara turned his head to share a grin with the man beside him. The hand he’d kept in a death grip around the handle of his gunbai for the past several hours finally unclenched, dropping the weight of the fan where it lay haphazardly across his own legs, and reached out to wind his fingers instead around Tobirama’s for a moment.

“You good?” he asked, still short of breath. His partner grunted.

“I’m fine,” was his short reply.

“Oh I don’t like that. Last time you said you were fine I came home to find you passed out on the bathroom floor. That’s just never a good word coming from you.” It took a bit of determination to convince his muscles to move again but for Tobirama he would shift the whole world off its axis. Sitting forward to do a quick visual inspection was a small effort in comparison to other things he had done.

Snorting in protest even as he lifted his free hand to lay over the portion of armor covering his ribcage, Tobirama stuck his nose in the air. “In my defense, until that very experiment I was unaware of the byproduct from mixing those two chemicals together.”

“Hmph. Don’t think I don’t see that hand. Come on, let’s get some armor off, let me look at your ribs.”

“If you absolutely must.” Tobirama dropped his head back for a moment to take a few deep inhales. Then he rolled it to one side with an approximation of what was usually a devastating smile. “I’m sure there are other parts of me you would rather look at.”

Madara leveled him with an unimpressed look. “Nice try. Strip. In the un-sexiest way you can.”

Accompanied by lots of grumbling, Tobirama did as he was told. They had been together long enough that he knew the sort of nagging he would have to deal with if he didn’t. Watching him struggle his way through unbuckling the armor and pulling it off himself was almost painful but the relief on his face when he could finally sit back again was just as palpable and Madara granted him a quick kiss in reward for good behavior.

Then he lifted the man’s shirt and froze, eyes wide, temper rising.

“Fine, he says. Just fine. It’s not like he’s got a massive bruise down _the entire left side of his body_!” His eyes snapped up to glare but Tobirama’s had already turned away to inspect the stalactites on the ceiling above them with sheer fascination on his face. Madara was not fooled. “You’re an idiot.”

“On the contrary, I am a certified genius.”

“Well you’re absolutely genius at getting yourself injured and staying quiet about it.”

“Just one of my many skills,” Tobirama agreed with a catty tone.

Madara poked him in the ribs. Gently, of course, because he did love the man but he sort of deserved that gasp of pain.

“Fuck you,” Tobirama wheezed, clutching the spot until the flare of pain dulled again.

“Happily, but later. Not until you let me at least wrap this all up for you. I think we might have to start avoiding these encounters for the rest of the way home.”

They shared a look of regret.

“Very well. If it will get you to stop mother-henning.”

“I am not a mother hen! If anyone that’s Hashirama!”

“Oh gods above and below.” Tobirama groaned piteously. “I changed my mind. Don’t wrap them, just end my misery now. He’s going to smother me when he sees this. With _hugs_.” A shudder of disgust rippled through him only to end with a sharp jolt as the motion brought pain in its wake.

Madara considered that and then grinned evilly, reaching for the bandages in his medical kit. His partner was right. The loving care of an overprotective brother was better revenge than he could ever take for himself. 


End file.
